Wait, Were People Expecting That?
Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick spoke out this week about Red Dead Redemption 2, assuring fans that the online portion of the game won’t be a “clone of Fortnite.” Wait, really? I understand that Fortnite is fire-hot at the moment, but I felt pretty confident RDR 2 wouldn’t try and emulate this brand of success. Was this something people were legitimately worried about?
Zelnick mentioned this while also referring to previous use of Battle Royale mechanics in their games. He elaborated on this point, stating that “any mechanic you use would want to be in service of the core entertainment experience…no one is looking for a clone of Fortnite.”
Strictly speaking, I’m pretty sure that every CEO in the industry is hoping for the next Fortnite. However, it’s good to hear that Take Two isn’t gunning for a Fortnite clone. It’s also worth noting that Rockstar jumping on a bandwagon is akin to Nintendo making porn games. Possible, but incredibly unlikely. Zelnick also warned his peers that this cloning stuff is bad news. When it comes to stuff like Fortnite, “if you’re busy cloning it, you’re going to get to market in three years.” Wise words, especially given the lifespan of your average fad. Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to PS4, Xbox One on October 26th, 2018.